


Touch Starved

by Asher Monroe (OneHundredSuns)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Actually they did it cause they wanted to, Berek, Bonnie is gorgeous and deserves all the men, Bonnie/Derek, Crack Pairing, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Derek smells amazing, F/M, Interracial Relationship, Magic, Magic Made Them Do It, Spoilers For Both Shows, Werewolves, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-06
Updated: 2013-03-01
Packaged: 2017-11-18 02:59:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/556132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneHundredSuns/pseuds/Asher%20Monroe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was supposed to be a quiet vacation from her hectic life. But as with all things, Bonnie gets more than she bargained for. Especially when it comes to one Derek Hale, , and the hidden dangers of Beacon Hills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So apparently Bonnie Bennett/Derek Hale is my new crack-ship. So far this is the only thing I’ve written for them but if people like it I might write more—add to this like with my Bonnie/Damon. Spoilers up to Plan B of TVD (S2) and Magic Bullet of Teen Wolf (S1). Enjoy and let me know what you think!

****

**Back** **story** : So I figured some things out in my head for this so that it makes more sense because I’m like that. In this Bonnie and Scott are cousins. Their mothers are half sisters with different mothers so they didn’t grow up together and therefore Melissa (Scott’s mother) doesn’t know magic. However having the same dad they of course knew each other and spent time together, so Bonnie and Scott met and stuff and continued to keep in touch even when Abby split on Bonnie. Also let’s just pretend that school in Mystic Falls was out for some reason while school in Beacon Hills wasn’t. 

Touch Starved

It wasn't an easy decision by any means—packing up and flying halfway across the country to stay with relatives she hadn't seen since she was fourteen years old—but Bonnie Bennett realized it was either leave Mystic Falls for a while or end up going crazy. There was just too much weirdness in her life right now to be considered healthy. Not to mention she was still grieving for her Grams and to some extent Caroline, though they were thankfully on better terms after finding the location of the moonstone and saving Stefan from a watery vervain death together. She was still a tad wary however because what she knew about vampires she'd learned from the one that tried to kill her—Damon Salvatore—and the one that tried his best to be nonthreatening—Stefan Salvatore. It made sense that Caroline was more like Stefan since he'd taken her under his wing.

And Caroline wasn't a bad person. She'd just been tossed into a situation that she'd had no control over and was now dealing with it. She needed support so Bonnie was going to support her. Well after she finished putting herself back together of course.

Bonnie didn't remember much about her mother and her father never talked about her so she strayed from the subject as well. Abby Bennett skipped out when Bonnie was five and hadn't looked back once. Grams used to say she most likely had her reasons but that meant fuck all to a little girl that needed her mother to help her with becoming a young woman. But Bonnie felt like she was okay. Motherly figures stepped up to help her when she'd had questions about sex or periods, especially her best friend Elena Gilbert's mother. Now she was dead too and things were just looking so completely bleak; a cloudy day with no sun in sight.

So after much thought and some back and forth with friends, she'd settled on the idea that visiting her Aunt Melissa was the right course of action, at least for a while anyway. She wasn't as close with her mother's side of the family as she was her father's but that is exactly what she needed. People who hardly remembered anything about her and wouldn't be shocked by how she'd changed. Her other Aunt would no doubt go on and on about how intense she'd gotten since they'd last laid eyes on each other, but with any luck Melissa would simply talk about normal stuff. How she'd gotten a little taller and finally filled out…so to speak.

Anyway it would be nice to be normal again and not have to worry about running for her life or saving anyone.

Sitting in the back of the cab on her way to her Aunt's home, she sighed and smoothed a hand across her face. Tucked in her bag was Emily's grimoire and honestly she still couldn't say why she'd brought it other than the fact it was sort of a security blanket now. She knew a lot of the spells inside of the cracked, aged pages but there were stronger ones she hadn't got a hold on yet. Ones that could conjure and summon or cause real damage. While the power scared her it also thrilled her and left her wanting more. Not necessarily because it was right but because having more power was the only way she knew she could protect herself and those she cared about. She just hoped things remained quiet back home while she was gone. That Katherine kept to herself while she no doubt scrambled to come up with another evil master plan now that Mason Lockwood was dead.

In any case she hadn't signed up to be the savior of all so they were on their own for a few weeks. Damon and Stefan would keep Elena safe and Caroline now had the power to keep herself safe. They'd be fine.

 _I hope_.

She wasn't even going to touch or think about the weirdness surrounding her and Damon either. Surely a few moments where they weren't arguing didn't mean anything. Surely a few subtle looks from under long lashes didn't mean anything. Besides he was a psychopath and chasing Elena's skirt and on a good day she could hardly tolerate him so she wasn't going to dwell on any of his odd actions. Or the fact that he'd asked her to stay when she'd announced she was leaving.

The cab pulled up before a lovely two story gray house and Bonnie gathered up her things, slipping out the back door to stand on the curb while the driver took out her two suitcases. She paid him with a smile and lugged them up onto the porch, exhaling deeply before ringing the bell.

Footsteps sounded and the door flew open a minute later to reveal her Aunt Melissa McCall. "Bonnie! Oh my God look at you!"

Bonnie smiled. "Hey Aunt Melissa. It's good to see you."

Melissa pulled her in for a big hug and cupped her cheeks, looking her over with big dark eyes. "My goodness but you are gorgeous. Did you have a nice flight? I'm sorry that I didn't pick you up from the airport but I have to leave for work in like ten minutes, and I had to get ready and Scott did something to the car and…" She trailed off with a sigh. "Anyway how are you?"

Bonnie chuckled. "I'm good. And hey don't worry about it. I got here in once piece."

Melissa nodded and took her suitcases, bringing them inside. "That's good. I can't believe you're actually here. I haven't seen you since you were fourteen years old. How is everything back home? How is your grandmother?"

 _I forgot she doesn't know._  "Grams—Grams died. She um, it was kinda sudden to be honest but peaceful."

"Oh honey I'm so sorry." Melissa said softly. "If I had known I would have called or something. We really should keep in touch more often."

"Yeah." She wet her lips and closed the door, glancing around to see if anything had changed. It hadn't. "But I'm doing okay. Better anyway."

"If you need anything just let me know." Melissa headed upstairs and Bonnie followed, strolling into the bedroom that she assumed would be hers while she visited. "Scott should be home soon. He's excited to see you."

"I'm excited to see him too. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about and catch up on." She moved over to the window and glanced out. "Like does he girlfriend yet or has he finally accepted his love for Stiles."

Melissa laughed. "I think he's seeing some girl named Allison. At least he floats around here like he's on a cloud and he mentioned an Allison so I assume he's seeing her. Hopefully not too much of her." Pause. "What about you? Beating the boys off with a stick I bet."

Bonnie shook her head. "Nope. Things have been kinda of strange—not strange but strained—so dating isn't really on my radar."

The older woman walked over and patted her shoulder. "Well you're young and you have plenty of time for that." Her lips pressed into a gentle smile. "I still can't believe how beautiful you are. The last time I saw you, you were all gangly limbs and sassing anyone that looked at you funny. Now here you are almost an adult and very pretty and making me feel seriously old."

Bonnie laughed. "Aunt Melissa you are not old and you know you look amazing. But if you wanna continue to fish for compliments I might give them."

Melissa snorted. "And there is that sass." Smirking, she hugged her niece again and glanced to her watch. "Crap! Okay I have to be going. Are you gonna be okay here by yourself? Scott should be getting off work right now so it'll only be for about twenty minutes…keeping in mind that he remembers you're visiting."

With Scott being a total scatterbrain she wouldn't be surprised if he in fact  _had_  forgotten. "No worries. I can take care of myself."

Her Aunt kissed her cheek. "Okay. We'll talk later and hopefully do some shopping! Make yourself at home!" And then she was rushing out of the door.

Bonnie stretched her arms high over her head and waited until she heard the front door close before pulling out the grimoire and sticking it in a bottom drawer under a few of her clothes. It's not that she didn't trust her extended family; she just didn't want them to find it and think she was a Satanist or something. She removed her jacket and tossed it across the bed, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket and dialing a familiar number.

"Hello?"

"Hey Elena. I made it." She said as she drifted towards the stairs. "Shit is it late there? I'm still on Virginia time."

Elena giggled lightly. "No it's cool. How was your flight?"

"Boring." She made a face. "And long. How are things there? Everyone alive?"

"Yes." Elena mused. "No word from Katherine and Jenna is on the mend so…" She huffed. "It's like the calm before the storm you know? We know she has something planned but we don't know what. And I—I can't talk to Stefan because she might find out and do something to Jenna again or Jeremy."

"We'll figure this out. At least we have the moonstone." She trailed her fingers along the banister. "We need to figure out why Katherine wants it so badly anyway. And what she intends to do with it."

"Well we know it has something to do with werewolves. We think." Elena groaned. "I'm sure you don't wanna hear about this. You're supposed to be getting away from all this crap. I want you to have fun with your family and I'll call you if anything happens."

"Okay but please be careful. We know Katherine is an evil bitch and she already has it out for you because of Stefan. I know he annoys the hell outta you but if Damon offers to help, let him" A beat. "At least when it comes to keeping you guys safe."

Elena hummed. "I will just as soon as he stops being broody over you taking off. I had no idea your time finding out the location of the moonstone was so…interesting."

Bonnie gaped. "I have  _no_  idea what you are talking about. If Damon is acting weird it's because he  _is_  weird."

Elena snickered lowly. "We'll see. I'm sure if we need you he'll volunteer to come and get you."

Frowning a little, Bonnie jogged down the stairs and into the kitchen. "You need to stop all of this crazy talk. Damon is still kinda hung up on Katherine, and even if he wasn't he tried to kill me."

"He  _killed_  Jeremy and yet they are hanging out. Much as I hate it."

"Jeremy just wants to be on Team Supernatural."

"Maybe but I'd rather he didn't. But I suppose at least this way I know what he's doing."

"True. He'll be careful."

"Okay I'm gonna go watch a movie with Jenna and I want  _you_  to have some fun." Her best friend instructed. "Call me if you meet a hot guy and have a torrid romance."

"Ha! Yeah I see that happening." Bonnie snorted. "Take care." After the brunette echoed the same, she hung up and pocketed her phone.

It probably should have been uncomfortable being alone in a house that wasn't her own but unfortunately Bonnie was used to being alone. With her father traveling so much for work and Grams gone, she was usually left up to her own devices. Making food for herself and keeping everything in order. At least here she didn't have to worry about doing the laundry or any cooking…unless she wanted to of course.

Upon peering in the fridge she saw the things needed to make a ham and turkey sandwich so she set about doing that, putting everything out onto the counter. As she was spreading mustard across two flat pieces of white bread keys jiggled in the front door and it opened, bringing with it the bustle of a body hurrying into the house. It headed for the stairs before stopping abruptly. She saw the shadow of its' owner before Scott McCall slowly crept into view as if he was expecting to find a burglar or something.

Scott had changed too; he'd grown up for one thing. He was tall and handsome, his hair somewhere between wild and artfully coifed. But he still looked sort of…ditzy. That wasn't a bad thing of course and on him it was downright adorable, but it amused her nonetheless. He'd always said when he was older he was going to be the most popular kid in school and on first line with lacrosse. She wondered if any of his dreams had come true since hers hadn't.

"You forgot I was coming." She pointed the knife at him.

"No I…" He ducked his head. "Yeah. But just until I walked in just now." He grinned. "Wow Bonnie you look…wow."

She laughed. "Your mom said something to that affect as well. Makes me worry what you thought I was going to look like."

Scott waved a hand. "No, no! I just—the last time I saw you, you were all short and rolled your eyes a lot. Now you're like, hot."

"We're related." She teased.

"I know that. Besides I sort of have a girlfriend. Sorta." He moved closer and reached for the turkey. "Her name is Allison. You'd like her."

"I'm sure I would." She cut her sandwich into a triangle and handed him the second part. "So what's been going on with you? Are you some big lacrosse star now? Is your life totally amazing?"

He drummed his fingers on the countertop. "Uh, kinda. I mean I'm better at lacrosse but I wouldn't say my life is amazing. It's…complicated."

 _Man can I relate to that_. " Better at lacrosse is something though. Does that mean your asthma has gotten better?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's like I don't even have it anymore."

That's…weird. "Nice to see you're still as peculiar as ever."

Scott's brows narrowed in confused. "Peculiar?"

She grinned; still adorably obtuse as ever. "It means weird. Never changed Scott." She grabbed his hand to give it a friendly squeeze but jerked back when a flood of heat and  _wrongness_  traveled up her arm. Almost like when she touched a vampire for the first time but hot, nearly scorching, whereas that experience was ice cold.

Surprisingly Scott noticed her reaction. "What's wrong?"

Bonnie stared at him, swallowing thickly. Her first instinct was to run, to get as far away as she could because he could be dangerous and he obviously wasn't human. But this was  _Scott_  and Scott had never possessed the faculty to ever hurt a fly let alone a person. And here he was watching her with a look so fierce, sitting stock still as if one wrong move would spook her. He wasn't entirely wrong.

"Bonnie?" His voice was careful, low. "Are you okay? I—you look freaked out. After you touched me just now."

Very slowly she backed away from the counter. "What are you?"

He blinked and stood. "I…don't know what you are talking about."

She waved a hand at him. "You're—you're not human. I can tell."

His shock was genuine. "How?"

Bonnie ran her fingers through her hair.  _So much for normal_. "I'm a witch."

"Yeah right." He sent her a  _look_. "There are no such things as witches except for in the movies. And—and even if there were you wouldn't be one. You're  _Bonnie_."

Irritated and not in the mood to explain she opted for the quick and easy approach. Spying a scented candle sitting on the dining room table, she focused on it and forced the wick to ignite with a dancing yellow flame. Scott jerked and slowly went over to investigate it, dragging his fingers through the fire to make sure it was real.

"How did you do that?" He asked in awe.

"I told you." She replied. "I'm a witch. I can do things."

He stared at the candle like it held all of life's mysteries before exhaling deeply. "And you know—I mean you can tell I'm not human? Just by touch?" She nodded and he continued. "Okay. But I don't want you to be scared or anything but I'd never do anything to hurt you. Or anybody! I didn't ask for this. It was done to me." His eyes met hers. "I'm a werewolf."

 _That actually makes sense although I wish I wasn't in the place to say so_. "That's why you're so warm."

Scott blinked. "Aren't you freaked out? I just told you I was a freaken werewolf."

Bonnie sighed. "I wish I could be freaked out but I'm not. You're not the first werewolf I've met and honestly, you probably won't be the last. Life is…different in Mystic Falls. It's why I came here because I wanted normal."

His shoulders drooped. "I can't promise you'll find that around here. I…" He cut himself off. "I don't have to talk about it if you don't wanna know. Lots of people don't. It's kinda a secret."

She seriously considered taking him up on that offer but knowledge was power after all and she didn't want to be kept out of the loop, especially when knowing might save her life. "No it's alright. Besides Scott if this is about you then I want to know. We're family."

He smiled. "Um, so I'm a werewolf. A Beta I just found out and there is like a crazy, psycho Alpha going around killing people and we have no idea who he is. I'm told he wants me in his pack and I don't even really know what that means or what being a wolf means. I'm kinda having a hard time of it."

She huffed out a small laugh. "I know the feeling. Being a witch isn't exactly glamorous." She paused. "I'm sorry this happened to you, Scott but thanks for being straight with me. I know how it is to have something inside of you that you can't always control. Scary as hell."

Returning to his seat, he started in on his sandwich. "Totally. Learning to control myself has been horrible and then I have this dick Jackson who thinks I'm on steroids to be better at lacrosse, so he's always on my case. Stiles is freaking out about everything and all I wanna do is be with Allison." Suddenly he looked excited. "Hey! Is there like, a spell or something that can cure me?"

"Not that I know of." She whispered. "It's been my experience that once you become something, that's it. There might be a way to help you manage it though. I'll look into it."

He was grateful. "Thanks. I'm glad that you found out. Now I don't have to freak out about how I'm gonna hide it from you while you're here. Getting tired of all the secrets and lies."

"I'm guessing your mom doesn't know?"

"No. Only Stiles knows."

"Naturally."

"Yeah well he knows more about being a werewolf than I do. He studies up…or something. Hey do I have to keep that you're a witch a secret?"

"I'd rather you not tell anyone except Stiles. I might not grow claws or fangs but if people found out they'd probably react the same way. My ancestors were burned at the stake after all."

"You mean the Salem witch trials really happened?"

"Yes Scott, though this happened years ago in Mystic Falls."

"Whoa."

Taking two small cartons of juice out of the refrigerator, she slid one over to him and kept the other for herself. "Heh what are the odds of you being a werewolf and me being a witch, and us being related?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. I thought the odds of werewolves being real were zero until I became one. I'd give anything to just be normal."

Bonnie could remember feeling that way when she first became aware of her powers, especially when Emily was hounding her in her dreams. "You might get used to it eventually. And then it might save your life and you'll almost be a little happy you have it. My powers scared me at first but now they let me keep the people I love safe. Without them they'd be dead."

Scott didn't look convinced. "Would be nice if something good came from becoming a monster. So far I just break stuff."

This time when Bonnie took his hand she didn't recoil. "You are as far from a monster as anyone could be. I wasn't scared when I found out you weren't human because I knew you'd never hurt me. I was just worried that something bad had happened to you."

He gazed at her. "You're not scared of me?"

Bonnie grinned a little. "No. I—I can handle myself when it comes to creature features. Witchy powers and all."

That seemed to please him. "You gotta show me some more cool stuff. Can you fly on a broom or whatever?"

 _Seriously_? "C'mon Scott be serious. This is real life, not an episode of Bewitched."

He nodded and then asked, "What's Bewitched?"

~*~

The next few days were spent showing Scott some of the things she could do with magic like start fires with water and float leaves off the ground. He was completely captivated by it all and wished that she could teach him some stuff, but even if she could've she wasn't sure she  _would_  have. Scott McCall knowing how to conjure fire just seemed like an accidental forest fire waiting to happen. And of course Stiles was usually there when she was working her mojo, gaping with delightfully flushed cheeks and arms flailing in disbelief. He asked her about a million questions…including a few about love spells and turning someone into a toad. It was a little disconcerting to see everyone buying into the Halloween aspect of what a witch was supposed to be. She was sure Scott still thought she should be wearing a pointed hat.

However it was nice spending time with people that had no idea vampires existed. She didn't have to be on the lookout for Katherine popping up trying to choke her or Damon threatening to lose his shit if they didn't discover what the moonstone was for  _right now_. In Beacon Hills she was just Bonnie Bennett; cousin of Scott McCall and that suited her just fine. Plus it was cool to know that her cousin and his best friend hadn't really changed that much. Gotten taller and cuter, sure, but they were still as dramatic and goofy as ever. They were such  _teenagers_  and yet dealing with some very real and scary issues.

 _Just like me. I wonder is this how we seem to the outside world? Melodramatic teenagers overacting at every possible second_?

She also got to meet the object of Scott's current affections, Allison and they got along well enough though Scott had already sworn her to silence on stories from their childhood that made him look bad. Yet she'd been unable to resist telling the one about how he'd once wanted to be a robot. Allison seemed like a good person for the most part. In fact she reminded Bonnie of Elena. They were both gentle souls with bright smiles and kind eyes.

And then a friend of a friend had had a party and she'd gone, and just sort of observed her old friends in their new life.

It was funny to think that while she'd been fighting for her life in Mystic Falls, they'd been doing the same nearly three thousand miles away. Except a bit more successful since so far none of them were dead…or undead…yet.

Bonnie had only gone with Scott to work twice and that was because he needed someone to feed all of the cats for him. Apparently they were not fond of werewolves at all and would pitch a fit if he so much as stuck his head through the door. Neither time did she meet his boss but she got the feeling he was a good guy and fond of Scott because he was a good worker. He did whatever task was asked of him—feeding kittens aside—and often stayed late to make sure everything was taken care of.

And while Scott was in class or doing his super secret wolf stuff she spent a few hours with her Aunt shopping and dodging the subject of boyfriends.

All in all it was utterly normal—boring by some standards—but she loved it.

Lounging on her bed with Emily's spell book in front of her, she read a passage about using a pendant to focus the magical aneurysm so that it could be given to a group of supernaturals instead of just one. She was alone in the house because Melissa was at work at the hospital and Scott was probably with Allison since school had dismissed hours earlier. Not that she minded; the quiet was relaxing and the neighborhood was filled with suburbanites too busy watching television to think about bothering her.

She was thinking about calling Caroline and checking on the Matt situation when the sound of tires squealing loudly sounded outside. The front door opened and swung back into the wall brutally as Scott screamed her name at the top of his lungs.

She nearly fell off the bed getting to the stop of the stairs. "Scott? What's wrong?"

He looked sweaty and panicked, his eyes wild with fear. "You—you gotta come quick! I need your help, please! It's a matter of life and death!"

Bonnie hurried downstairs and outside to his car, throwing herself into the front seat. "What's wrong? Is it Stiles?"

He shook his head. "No it—it's Derek."

"Who is Derek?" She inquired, gripping the seat because Scott was driving like a maniac.

"He's a wolf. It's complicated." He sighed deeply. "Anyway he was shot and I—I was supposed to be getting this bullet for him and I  _tried_  but I couldn't and I'm not even sure why he needed it but he didn't look good the last time I saw him and I didn't know who else to turn to!"

"Hey it's okay." She reached over and rubbed his arm. "I'll help your friend if I can. I promise."

That appeared to placate him a little and he swallowed hard, nearly jumping the cement curb to roar into the parking lot of the veterinarian's office. He barely put the vehicle into park before he was lurching out the driver side door and running around back obviously expecting her to follow, which she did. She could hear the animals inside going insane for some reason especially the dogs.

"Stiles?" The loading area door was open and Scott shot through it like he was on fire.

"Scott?" She heard Stiles reply.

She sprinted past bags of animal food and nearly ran into Scott where he'd stopped in the doorway, panting and frowning at the sight of Stiles and another guy, with Stiles holding some type of metal saw against the unknown man's arm.

 _This doesn't look good_.

"What the hell are you doing?" Scott demanded.

Stiles chuckled nervously. "Oh, you just prevented a lifetime of nightmares."

"Did you get it?" Asked the stranger from where he was shirtless and slumped over the metal table.

Scott paled. "I—I tried but I couldn't. I had it in my hands but Allison's Aunt came back and she almost caught me going through her stuff and I—what did you need it for anyway?!"

Stiles gulped. "What were you gonna do with it?"

The stranger exhaled as if it took great effort and stood, shaking his head. "I was gonna…I was gonna…" Suddenly he swayed and listed to the side, tumbling unconscious to the floor.

"Oh shit!" Scott exclaimed. "Derek? Bonnie do something!"

Bonnie snapped to attention and rushed over, kneeling down beside Derek. She felt for a pulse and found it weak, his skin pale and clammy. She wet her lips and touched his arm, frowning at the gruesome discolored infection quickly spreading from a bullet wound up towards his shoulder. "What is this?"

Stiles was kneeling on the other side of her. "Something dealing with Nordic blue monkshood. It's—"

"Wolfsbane." She whispered.

Stiles nodded. "Yeah. He said he was gonna die without the bullet…and now we don't have the bullet so I'm not liking his chances here. Hey ya know maybe we  _should_  just cut off his arm. Or maybe you should do it while I cower outside and think of kittens and butterflies. He said if it works it'll heal and people can live full lives without two arms nowadays." He was babbling. "Besides he's a strong wolf, he'd probably chew it off if he were in fact conscious to do so."

"Shit. I read something in my book I—I don't know if it'll work but I'd say it's our best shot." She put her hands over the wound, ignoring how the flesh squished and stuck to her palms. "I can burn it out. Hold him down."

Stiles and Scott jumped to obey with Scott bearing down on Derek's shoulders while Stiles took his legs. Bonnie closed her eyes and began to chant lowly, the Latin rolling off her tongue in a jumble of twisting words as the power built in her chest and traveled down her arms. Her hands grew scorching hot and she clamped her fingers around Derek's forearm and bicep, pushing the energy into his body. It latched onto her magic and  _pulled_  as if it recognized that she were trying to help, forcing a gasp past her lips. The temperature inside of the room spiked, making the liquid inside the containers boil.

Derek's eyes flew open and he screamed in pain as wispy blue smoke sizzled out of his bullet wound. He arched violently off the cold concrete floor with so much strength that Scott and Stiles couldn't really hold him down though they continued to try. Bonnie repeated the spell over and over again, louder, gripping his arm so hard that she was sure the imprints of her fingers would be left behind.

A growl—a deep, throaty growl the likes of which she had  _never_  heard before clawed its way out of Derek's throat as he writhed in pain. And then the infection was drying up and in on itself, crawling out of his veins to disappear into the air as more light blue smoke until there was nothing left but smooth, unmarred skin.

Bonnie sat back flat on her butt and pushed strands of damp black hair out of her face, her eyes on Derek as he slowly sat up.

"That was awesome!" Stiles blurted out, complete with fist pump. "Yes!"

Bonnie was shaking, her heart pounding so hard behind her rib cage that it almost hurt. She felt jittery and out of breath like she was about to combust out of her skin. Wetness touched her upper lip and she reached up slowly, staring soundlessly at the tinge of red on her fingertips. Quickly she wiped the blood away and tried to get herself together.

Derek was glaring—staring—watching her so intensely that she had to restrain herself from squirming. "Who are you?"

"Bonnie." She said. "Scott's cousin."

"Are you two okay?" Scott asked slowly.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Oh except for the agonizing pain?"

Stiles snorted. "I'm guessing the ability to use sarcasm is a good sign of health."

Scott narrowed his brows and helped Bonnie stand, pressing his hand to her forehead. "Jesus Bonnie you're burning up. Are you going to be alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah I—I just need some air." She offered up a little smile and stumbled outside, pulling off her cardigan so that the cool night air could seep into her bones.

She lifted the hair off the back of her neck and huffed. "Elena's not gonna believe this."

"How did you do that?" It was Derek. "Only burning the infection out with wolfsbane works."

"I'm a witch so I know a few tricks." She leaned against Stiles' jeep. "You're welcome by the way."

His eyes were green she noticed, surrounded by long dark lashes and topped by thick brows that gave him a perpetual scowl. Although his expression was carefully blank as he studied her, his bare chest and impressive abs glistening with sweat. Now that she could see him clearly she realized just how gorgeous he was, so toned and muscled and perfect as if he'd been sculpted out of marble. Tall, dark, handsome and broody—the supernatural world would never run out of them.

He flexed his fingers and looked at his arm. "You did this with magic?"

A nod.

"Interesting." Pause. "Thanks…"

Another nod.

"You know what I am?"

"Yeah."

"Scott told you?"

"I felt it in him before he did, but yeah he clued me in. I'm not gonna tell anyone if that is what you are worried about."

"What do you mean you  _felt_  it?"

"I can tell when someone isn't human. It's…this sense of different I suppose."

Derek stepped close into her space so that he loomed a little over her. "Show me."

Bonnie blinked at him, his proximity making her head spin again. "It doesn't really work that way."

His voice was soft as he said, "Try anyway."

Licking her lips, she took his hand and pressed their palms tight together. She thought about the sensation she got from touching vampires and where it might come from, how it would shock her like electricity every single time she encountered a new one. That feeling of cold death that had rattled her faith in everything when she'd grabbed Caroline and felt it.

But instead of teeth chattering cold the heat came again, even warmer than she'd experienced with Scott. Derek was obviously very strong and very powerful, and  _something_  inside of him easily accepted her powers. Maybe it was the whole nature aspect of being a witch and a wolf's relationship with the world around them. Whatever it was it made her whole body tingle and she blushed, pulling away. It wasn't a bad feeling it was just somewhat overwhelming.

"Did you feel anything?" She inquired.

"I felt something." Derek murmured.

"Well you are standing around outside shirtless." Stiles mused. Neither of them had heard him walk up; or maybe Derek had but had chosen to ignore him. "Bonnie, Scott wants me to give you a ride back to his house."

"Okay." She opened the door to his jeep and climbed inside. "It was nice meeting you I guess."

Derek inhaled and exhaled quietly. "Yeah. You too." He turned and headed back inside.

Stiles arched a brow. "He scares the  _shit_  out of me."

Bonnie chuckled softly. "Why? I mean werewolf stuff aside."

"Well for one he's always threatening to rip my head off or my throat out or just straight up kill me."

"Hm. I think you're fine."

"Why do you say that? The guy's insane."

"Because I know killers Stiles, I've met several. They have a  _look_  about them; sometimes it's smug and other times it's constantly regretful. Trust me, Derek isn't a killer."

"Then what is he? Besides a dick."

"If I had to guess? I'd say broken. Supernatural creatures usually tend to be."

~*~

Side effects from a spell could last for minutes or even days depending on the energy that was used. For days after opening the tomb with her Grams Bonnie had felt sluggish and out of it, though her Grams' death probably played a role in that as well. However usually when she did something smaller the effects faded away almost immediately after like with making Caroline's day light ring or trying to set Damon on fire. However two days after saving Derek's life and her fingers still felt tingly. Maybe it was because he was a werewolf and apparently different from the ones back in Mystic Falls. Different bloodlines and species; there was just so much they didn't know about things that went bump in the night. Vampires were just the tip of the iceberg.

It sucked for her because she didn't have anyone to talk about this with anymore. Not really. Elena and Caroline would both listen but they didn't have any insight to offer. And she didn't wanna go to Stefan because if he told Damon, Damon might decide coming to Beacon Hills and starting shit would be a marvelous idea. That last thing she wanted was to make more trouble for Scott and his friends. So she supposed she was just going to have to deal with it, perhaps search online for the truths between the lies.

One person that seemed eager to help was Stiles. He hadn't hesitated to give her all of the werewolf lore he'd found, complete with little notes in the margins of what was actually true. And then he'd told her— _very_  begrudgingly—that if she wanted irrefutable answers she would have to go to the source.

AKA Derek Hale.

Who according to Stiles was an "insane, dangerous, murderous, hot—no wait I meant dangerous, did I say dangerous?" man that should be monitored at all times or possibly locked up. She sorta hated that she  _actually_  had experience with his type but after meeting Damon Salvatore the word psychotic just didn't stir up the high levels of stress it used to. That is why she decided not to heed Stiles' warning about meeting Derek in a brightly lit area surrounded by people with guns, instead opting to find out where he lived and just go there. It wasn't hard; the Hale family was kinda of infamous because of the tragedy that befell them so many years ago.

After promising to try to teach Scott and Stiles a small spell when they were done with lacrosse practice, she called a cab and rode silently to the Hale residence. The cabbie hadn't questioned why she'd wanted to be dropped off at an abandoned house. He'd been in the middle of it until she handed him a twenty and told him to keep the change.

She watched the car drive off and glanced around at the wooded, secluded area listening to the trees rustle and birds call. She tightened her sweater and slowly started the trek up to the looming, half destroyed house, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up with nerves and something else. One of the creepiest things about being a witch were the impressions she got without asking for them. A touch here or a word there and she'd be tossed into a sometimes terrifying vision. The grounds were  _pulsing_  with pain; she was almost nervous to touch anything for fear of what the spirits might show her.

Coming to a stop a few feet from the porch, Bonnie chewed on her bottom lip. "Derek? It's me, Bonnie. Scott's cousin. We met when I saved your life." Pause. "I know you're here. I just wanna talk."

"Haven't you been warned away from me yet?" The front door opened and Derek stepped out, hands loose by his sides.

She smiled. "Yeah but I don't scare very easily, not anymore anyway. Besides I guess I'm taking a leap of faith here that you won't rip my head off since you kinda owe me one for saving your life."

His expression remained blank. "What do you want?"

She crossed the distance to stand at the bottom of the cement steps. "One I wanted to make sure you were okay and two, I have a few questions."

He arched a brow. "About what? I'd think with you being a witch you'd already know all there is  _to_  know."

Bonnie shrugged. "I'm new at the witch stuff and basically on my own. I've been reading and learning, but some things can't be explained. Like…why am I still feeling the effects of the spell I did on you?"

Derek simply blinked at her. "Is that not normal?"

 _It's like pulling teeth_. "Depends on the spell. But burning out an infection—it wasn't that hard. Granted I'd never done it before but still…" She sighed deeply. "When I was healing you it was like—like something was pulling the magic out of me and into you. I've shared magic before but not like that."

"I'm not sure what you want me to tell you. Healing me was the objective and it worked." He tilted his head to the side. "Why don't we just leave it at that?"

"Not to be rude but I'm not really running high on patience right now so if you know something, just tell me." She pressed her lips together. "Otherwise I might have to get it the hard way."

He smiled  _just so_  and moved down a step. "Is that supposed to be a threat?"

Bonnie shrugged again. "You can take it as one if you need to."

Derek moved again, suddenly so close the sleeves of his gray shirt brushed her crossed wrists. "You come here alone without any back up, knowing what I am, and yet you're trying to threaten me? That doesn't seem very smart."

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Derek but you don't scare me."

"I haven't even tried yet."

"Do your worst."

His eyes glowed blue from within. "Are you sure you want that?"

 _Better that black vein-y vampire eyes_. "I've seen worse."

"I can tell when someone is lying to me." He frowned a little and looked her over. "But you're really not scared, are you?"

"No." She said softly. "I got tired of being scared a long time ago. Of feeling weak. Also you're not exactly a bad person."

He snorted. "You can tell that from our one and only meeting?"

Bonnie grinned. "As a matter of fact yes I can. Super cool witch here remember?"

He rolled his eyes but not maliciously. "Honestly Bonnie, I don't know why I reacted the way I did to your magic. I've never felt anything like that before. I just know I needed to be healed and you healed me."

She nodded. The more answers she searched for the more questions she was found instead. She was beginning to think she'd never have a full handle on her abilities which sucked. "Thanks anyway." She turned to leave when he caught her wrist with long slender fingers.

 _Heat_  skittered up her arm making her lashes flutter and her brain short circuit. The air around them crackled—hot and charged—as the forest grew deathly quiet like it was waiting for something. She looked from Derek's hand to his face; when had he gotten so much  _closer_? Their noses nearly touched and their breath mingled with her heart pounding to a deafening drum beat.

Bumping into Mason had been  _nothing_  like this but she had been too busy getting a vision of him and Katherine in bed together. Maybe it was something she would only feel with the wolves of Beacon Hills. Maybe it was something she would only feel with Derek.

She curled the fingers of her free hand into the material of his shirt to steady herself. Obviously something bizarre was going on or affecting them and they should get to the bottom of it as soon as possible, but it was hard to keep that thought in her head. The warmth was so inviting—she hadn't felt this safe since before she found out vampires were real. She wanted to soak into it until it ran completely through her.

"What's happening?" Derek's voice was sandpaper rough. "What are you  _doing_?"

"I'm not doing anything." She replied breathlessly. "I thought you were doing it."

He growled, his fingers flexing like he wanted to let her go but couldn't quite manage it. He leaned forward and his nose brushed her cheek before tracing a line underneath her jaw down to where her pulse thudded rapidly. His scruff was soft against her skin but it tickled and made her shiver. So close; he smelled amazing, like smoky burning wood from a fireplace and fresh apples.

Bonnie turned her head just so and their lips nearly touched. All either of them had to do was move forward and for the life of her she couldn't remember why that might be a bad idea. In fact it seemed like an awesome idea—wrapping herself up in him and his arms until the world blacked out.

A car horn blowing loudly shattered the moment and Derek pulled away, physically taking a step back. Bonnie shuddered out a gasp as the air returned to normal—colder—and the trees roughly followed suit, raining faded leaves down around them like falling snow.

There was silence for a few before Derek finally asked, "Do you need a ride back to Scott's?"

"Yeah." She whispered. "If you uh, don't mind."

"I'll get my keys." He disappeared inside and returned a second later wearing a black leather jacket. He showed her around back to his shiny black Camaro, starting up and heading out once she was inside and settled.

It was clear they were going to great lengths to avoid talking about what she'd probably call "the incident" when she related it later to Elena and Caroline. Just thinking about it made her cheeks grow warm and she bit her lip to keep from smiling.

The ride to Scott's house was quiet but comfortable with Bonnie watching Derek's hand whenever he switched gears. She wanted to say something, anything but had no clue where to begin so she kept her mouth shut. She desperately wished that she had someone to talk to—someone knowledgeable—but so far her mind was coming up with blanks. Perhaps she would just break down and swear Stefan to secretly and ask his opinion. That had to be better than nothing.

The car pulled up before Scott's home where Derek continued to stare straight ahead. He would give Stefan a run for his money on the whole handsome, dark and brooding thing.

"Well…guess I'll see you around." She said apropos of nothing. "Try not to end up near death anymore."

"Yeah." He murmured.

Bonnie studied him for a moment before nodding and removing her seat belt. She was reaching for the door handle when fingertips ghosted across the back of her hand; a barely there touch that was gone before she could really process it. Still it made her smirk. "Later Derek."

She climbed out and shut the door, watching as he sped off.

"Bonnie?" Scott hurried out of the door. "Wha—why is Derek giving you a ride home?"

"It's nothing. I just wanted to talk to him." She responded.

"Did you get any straight answers 'cause he never wants to give me any…" He replied, clearly annoyed.

"I'm not sure. But I did learn something." She smiled and pulled at her necklace. "Just not sure what that something i _s_."

Scott made a face. "Sounds like Derek. You should just stay away from him while you're here. I mean you can't really trust anything he says."

Bonnie patted her cousin's arm and strolled inside. "I tend to put more trust into what I feel anyway." A beat. "C'mon. Let's talk magic."

~Fin~


	2. Matchbox Fingers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If everything happens for a reason how do you explain the inexplicable?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for The Tell (S1 TW). I am sorry for the long wait! I don't know why I had so many issues getting this done but thankfully it's done now. To everyone who reviewed or requested more thank you very much. Hopefully the next one won't take as long. Enjoy! Oh yeah so I totally made up the festival in Mystic Falls. XD
> 
> Also the banner for this doesn't exactly fit what's happening because I made it before I wrote this bit but it's pretty so I'm posting it anyway. :)

Matchbox Fingers

Bonnie wasn't sure how long she planned to stay in Beacon Hills but oddly enough she didn't miss Mystic Falls. Yes she missed her friends but the town itself had become like a heavy stone around her neck, forcing her further down into thick quicksand at every turn. It had been one serious problem after the other and honestly she had no idea why things were apparently quiet there now. Was it because of the month long Festival of Battle Creek in which there was no school but day after day of this project or that form of entertainment? And surely wouldn't a bunch of kids being out of high school mean  _more_  trouble not less?

It was weird but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Katherine wanted to make them all stew by laying low and not just going ahead with her evil plan, well, it was better than nothing she supposed. At least until she returned, whenever that was.

Things were simpler in Beacon Hills unless Stiles was telling the story and then they were  _absolutely_   _horrible_  with a side of  _oh god how am I gonna survive one more day dealing with this bullshit_. It was funny how much she could relate. It made her wonder if there was a town in the middle of the states where the exact same things were happening but with like poltergeists or something since they had vampires and werewolves covered respectively.

However she wasn't directly involved in any of the wolf drama, and Scott seemed to want to keep it that way even though she assured him she could handle herself. She got the feeling she was going to have to  _show_ him just how helpless she was not sooner rather than later. The last thing she wanted was to be on some monster's radar but she couldn't just sit back and watch while her family was in danger. A family that also included Stiles just like it had included Jeremy back home.

Plus for some reason she didn't feel the pressure that came with being in Mystic Falls. Not only was there no one calling her name whenever something bad happened, there was also this weird  _natural grace_  to Beacon Hills that she couldn't explain. It was as if the very soil was saturated with power; a type of power that even her ancestors would have approved of. Maybe that was why her power had reacted the way it did to Derek Hale. Maybe wolves were more natural than vampires. It wasn't really that much of a stretch considering they were still alive, not walking animated corpses.

It made her want to explore to be honest. To see if she could do more things in Beacon Hills than she could in Mystic Falls which was a dangerous thought process but she couldn't help herself. Besides knowing more spells couldn't possibly be a bad thing if it helped saved a life. Right?

And what else was she supposed to do while Scott was in class?

Humming to herself, she dragged her grimoire off the bed and skipped downstairs, making her way outside onto the back porch. The air was chilly so she put on her black jacket and plopped down near the edge, leaning against a post to support her back. Opening the dusty brown book, she flipped through the yellowing pages, tracing her fingers along the slanted script. She didn't think about it much but there had to be something said that the magic Emily used to help Jonathan Gilbert take down the vampires had ultimately led to her downfall. It made her wonder if one day the magic she used to help the town would also come back to bite her in the ass. She probably wouldn't get burned at the stake but that didn't mean things would end well either.

They never did for supernatural creatures.

And yet she couldn't stop herself from studying and trying to learn all that she could. She would rather be overly prepared for nothing than under prepared and attacked. Enchanting jewelry was fine but she wanted to be able to do more things like with the aneurysms. What was that saying?  _The best offence is a good defense_? Something like that anyway.

Emily had been an exceptional witch in her day, obvious by the tomb spell of course. Bonnie could still remember being possessed by her and  _feeling_  all of that power coursing through her veins. Being buried under another consciousness had been horrible—something that still gave her nightmares sometimes—but like everything it was a learning experience. If she were to be any way like the other Bennett witches she hoped it was because she had the strength to do what was necessary.

Even if it hurt her in the process.

Yawning softly, she glanced up at the cloudy sky; the sun had barely peeked through all day. It would be night soon and since Scott had some teacher/parent thing she was going to crash it if she could just to get a look at Beacon Hills High. Hopefully with so many people there no one would notice that she didn't belong. Afterwards perhaps she and her extended family could have a nice dinner and continue to catch up. There was _so_   _much_  neither of them knew about each other.

Which speaking of she wondered if she should tell Scott and Stiles about vampires? The likelihood of them ever meeting one wasn't outrageous; they might have already met a few and just didn't know about it. However it was obvious that wolves and vamps didn't get along so it would make sense if the latter stayed away from Beacon Hills. They were probably all making their way to Mystic Falls like there was a Hellmouth buried beneath it or something.

And, well, with Scott having so much trouble being a newly made werewolf she figured pulling the curtain back all the way on the supernatural would just stress him out. He was on a need to know basis and he didn't _need_  to know much of anything that didn't prowl the woods of his hometown. He was much safer that way as well.

She felt Derek before she actually saw him.

A tiny electric jolt flared at the base of her skull and she was slightly surprised to recognize the sensation. She snapped the spell book closed and put it aside, wiggling her fingers when the very tips grew numb—like when your foot falls asleep. Wetting her lips, she looked up just in time to see a shirtless Derek exit the round cluster of trees across the yard. For a second she honestly wondered if she hadn't dozed off and was having a dream that would turn considerably R rated later. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. Just like she wasn't sure how she felt about  _him_. Her magic on the other hand clearly thought he was amazing. In time perhaps she would agree.

Derek for his part looked just as annoyed by life and surly as ever as he stalked closer to her. She hadn't seen him since their last meeting in his front yard more for Scott's benefit than her own since she got that he didn't trust Derek at all. However that didn't stop her from  _wanting_  to see him, whether to figure out their connection or to just experience it again, she had no idea. So much of her life was about pain and cold…it was nice to feel warmth for a change.

And naturally his gorgeous everything didn't hurt either.

"This is an interesting surprise." She teased. "And you're shirtless again. I know you own a shirt but you're not wearing one. Is that a pattern?"

He rolled his eyes. "I didn't have time to grab one." Huffing, he sat down beside her yet a respectable distance away. "Something came up."

He didn't elaborate not that she expected him to. "Do you wanna borrow one of Scott's or something?"

Derek shook his head. "No."

 _Okay then_. "Are you alright? You seem kinda agitated or something."

His brows furrowed. "So you aren't the least bit worried about why I'm here?"

She gazed at him. "No. Truthfully if I were back home I would be, thinking someone is in danger or after you especially since you're missing clothes but this isn't Mystic Falls. And you can obviously take care of yourself…when you're not being shot."

Clasping his hands together, he rested them between his spread legs. "Yeah well being at home isn't really an option right now. I went for a run and the next thing I knew I was near here."

Unlike Caroline, Bonnie didn't fall for lost causes however she had been known to be swayed by a pretty face if Ben McKittrick was any indication. Of course the moment she discovered he was an evil vampire she attempted to drop him like a bad habit. Things were different with Derek for so many reasons, one of which being she knew almost nothing about him. Getting to know someone was supposed to be important and yet she was going totally off  _feeling_  this time. Whenever she thought about her magic touching his wolf—the  _pull—_  it made her heart thump wildly in her chest.

What if it hadn't let go? Would that have meant something important? Would they suddenly be something important to each other?

Shifting, she nibbled on the inside of her cheek. "Um, are you implying that you came here to see me?"

His jaw tensed. "I don't know. If you're asking if I planned it then the answer would be no. But I'm here and you  _happened_  to be here so…"

She chuckled; it was funny but she could totally understand why he got on Scott's nerves. She could relate except she'd come to read the cryptic speak of the Salvatores pretty well, so it didn't bother her. Some people just had trouble getting things out. "Well I am staying here with my cousin but I understand what you mean. What happened between us isn't something I have ever experienced before. It was like…" She trailed off with a shiver. "It was…comforting. I guess that's why I'm not freaked out."

He arched a brow, clearly shocked by her musings. "You're not? Because you're a witch and this is a  _normal_  Monday for you? Being comfortable around dangerous creatures?"

 _Not normal but familiar_. "A little, yes. You'd be surprised what I used to get up to back home. It was all blood, smoke and death. And I don't think you are dangerous, Derek." After all he hadn't tried to rip her throat out once.

Derek appeared confused by her words. "What out there is worse than a werewolf?"

Unlike dear adorable Scott whom she wanted to keep from fraying at the edges, she got the impression Derek could handle knowing what else was out there. There was a chance he  _already_  knew. "A vampire. Or rather a pissed off vampire bent on a mission." Pause. "Where I come from there are quite a few and trust me when I say they're not nice people."

"That explains the smell when we first met."

"What else?"

"I thought it was possibly me because of my arm, but it wasn't. It was coming from you."

" _What_  smell?"

His green eyes drifted from the trees to her face. "Death. You smelled like death."

She didn't think he meant to offend her but she couldn't help how she reacted.  _Death_  in her experience never smelled good. How could it when it usually signaled that something was rotten? "So you're saying I reeked or something? Nice to know."

And there it was again—that barely there smile that changed his entire face. Made whatever heavy load he was evidently carrying on his shoulders lift for just a second. "No it's not what you think. Everything has a distinct smell from fear to lust to disease. Something that is like decaying smells putrid. With you it was just a light touch of an absence of life."

An apt way to describe her friends. "I know three vampires, four if you count the one that is responsible for those three. You're taking this awfully well by the way."

He smoothed a thumb over his knuckles. "I've seen a lot of things. Not much surprises me anymore." Standing, he rolled his shoulders and the bones popped. "I think it would be stupid of me to assume nothing else exists when  _I_  exist."

Bonnie nodded. "We are kinda alike in a way. You were born a wolf and I was born a witch. We're both rooted in nature, and some would think there isn't anything  _natural_  about what we are."

Derek's body went rigid and he inhaled deeply, his hands curling into tight fists. For all he tried to keep hidden there were some things he gave away quite easily she discovered. "Don't tell anyone else here what you are. Keep it between you, Scott and Stiles."

It was an order but she could hear the laced sentiment woven throughout it. "Yeah I get that it would be bad if the wrong people found out; got those back home too. My family has a history of people being burned at the stake."

Jerking, he stepped closer to her as if he couldn't control himself. "They do?"

Resisting the urge to sway into him, she dug her nails into her palms. "Yup. The townspeople found out that my great great whatever grandmother was a witch and they burned her even though she'd helped them once upon a time."

"But it wasn't your fault." He rumbled from within his chest. "You weren't even born then."

Bonnie got up and dusted off the back of her jeans for something—anything—to do that wasn't touching him. Because she wanted to. Because it was as if his skin was calling to her. "True.  _That_  wasn't my fault but other shit is. No one has the monopoly on bad decisions that affect others." She wasn't sure but she felt like he'd needed to hear that even if he continued not to believe it.

Just like she didn't believe Elena or Caroline when they told her that her Grams' death wasn't her fault.

Growling, he started to pace. "Whatever. Just keep a low profile."

His concern touched her; it was so different than her friends' concern. "I will I promise. Though you know I could help you with whatever it is you're going through."

He tilted his head to the side. "Who says I'm  _going_  through anything?"

 _Man his attitude reminds me a little of Damon. I'm not gonna think about what that might mean_. "You're running through the woods shirtless and said you can't go home. Not to mention I love my cousin but he can be a bit…infuriating. I know he's not taking this well."

Derek snorted as if that were an understatement. "You wanna help? Get Scott to be more serious about his training. Get it through his head that without it he's gonna die."

The thought of anything happening to Scott made her flinch. "I'll help him adjust."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

He looked as if he didn't really know how to react to her acquiescence. "What if he doesn't want you involved? For the record I don't want you  _involved_  either. There is a creature out there and it's beyond dangerous. It'll kill you if you get in its' way."

 _Sounds like Katherine to me_. "I've heard this spiel before you know and truthfully I think it's a crock of shit. I don't know one single person who would just sit around while someone they care about is in trouble." Going against her better judgment, she stepped off the porch until she was directly in front of him. "I didn't do it in the past so I'm not gonna start now. I might not be a strong werewolf but I  _have_  taken one down before. Don't underestimate me, Derek. People have made that mistake before."

For a moment Derek couldn't decide whether he was upset or amused. His hesitation to demand she stay out of it—whatever  _it_  was—gave her the chance to slowly entwine their fingers together. Her hand was cold from not wearing any gloves but his ever present heat quickly drove the chill away. Like before she was quickly immersed in it albeit slower this time. Either way she welcomed it not sure she would be able to refuse even if she wanted to.

Licking her lips, Bonnie pressed her free hand to his chest over his heart, feeling it beat wildly beneath his flesh. She met his intense gaze, curled her nails just so and  _pulled_  on the invisible thread connecting them. Pure energy washed over her like a rain storm and she gasped, suddenly finding her back pushed roughly against the side of the house. Derek's eyes were magnetic blue and his grip was tight, holding her in place so that she couldn't leave not that she wanted to. Not that the power would let her.

God she wanted to kiss him. It seemed like not the right thought to have but she couldn't stop it from slithering into her mind. He was so close and so gorgeous and just so goddamn strong that it fired the circuits of her brain until all she could think about was  _Derek_. His smell and the texture of his skin, the way his chest was heaving and damp with sweat at the effort not to do  _something_.

 _Is this going to happen every time we touch_?

"Bonnie." Her name was barely more than a rasp on his lips. "You should stop."

"Should I?" She asked. She knew her pupils were dilated; she did feel rather drugged. "Because there is a tiny voice in my head telling me I shouldn't."

He leaned in and their noses brushed; his breath a ghost of a kiss on her lips. "I—giving into temptation wouldn't be right. You're sixteen and—"

She tipped her chin up, rubbing their cheeks together, drawing a low whine out of him. "I'm seventeen." Dropping his hand, she tangled her fingers in his hair, not surprised to find it as soft as she'd thought. "Besides you could stop too."

Derek glowered at her even though he knew she was telling the truth. Instead of moving away he pressed his face into the hollow of her neck and inhaled, causing her stomach to drop and her legs to become unsteady. If he hadn't been holding her up she was pretty sure she would have sunk to the cold ground. As it were she was  _burning up_  from the inside out, getting damp in places she kept hidden from the world. A soft scrape of teeth on her flushed skin and the tree in her eye line exploded into a roar of loud flames.

"Fuck!" Derek jerked away from her like Ihe/I was the one on fire. "What—shit!"

 _Oh dear_ … "Crap! Okay um... _extinguere_!"

With a slow hiss the fire folded in on itself until it was nothing but a smoldering mess of smoky leaves and branches.  _How am I gonna explain that to Aunt Melissa_?

Slumping back to the house, Bonnie exhaled and pulled at the collar of her shirt. "Ooh. We have to find out what  _this_  is."

Derek grunted. "I gotta go." He began to stalk off back the way he came.

"Derek, wait!" She called. "Where are you going?"

His nose twitched and he kept a decent amount of space between them, giving her a lovely view of his toned back and intricate tattoo. "Home." He glanced to the charred tree like it had done him a personal slight.

Scratching at her cheek, she sighed. "I—I'm sorry. I just—I'm sorry, okay?" It felt appropriate to apologize though why she wasn't sure.

With eyes still sparking blue, he looked at her over his shoulder. "Don't be." And then he was running, disappearing into the thick of trees.

Bonnie groaned and dropped to the ground not caring how cold it was. She felt like spreading herself across it anyway and wrenched out of her sweater, placing it in her lap. Either there was something wrong with her and Derek or the wolves of Beacon Hills caused an extremely weird reaction in her. In theory she should test it to see if she reacted that way with another wolf but she didn't want to. Besides the only other wolf she knew was Scott and that was out of the question.

 _I wish you were here to tell me what is going on, Grams. Whether I should just leave it alone or let myself get in deeper. I guess it could be dangerous somehow but it doesn't_  feel  _dangerous. It feels…passionate_.

 _But even passion can go sour_.

He wouldn't like it and he would have questions as to why she wanted to know, but she was going to ask Scott to give her the dirt on Derek. And if he said no she would make Stiles do it because she was pretty sure she could threaten him with turning him into a frog and he wouldn't know that wasn't possible. There just—there had to be a  _reason_  and she wanted to know what it was. Was it the spell to save his life or something more profound? What she was going to do with the knowledge when she ultimately discovered it however? Well she had no damn idea.

~*~

"You met a guy?" Caroline sounded excited and a little doubtful. "What am I saying?  _Of course_  you met a guy! Tell us everything. How hot is he? Did you make out with him?"

"Caroline." Elena laughed, both of them on speaker phone. "Not everyone has your level of confidence when it comes to meeting a new guy."

Bonnie grinned. "So true. Besides when we first met I didn't exactly have time for any of that. It was sorta a life or death situation."

"What?" They said in unison.

"He was dying and I had to save him." She explained slowly. "If I tell you guys something you have to  _swear_  not to tell anyone else. And by anyone else I mean Damon, Stefan or Tyler. But especially Damon."

"We totally swear." Caroline said quickly. "Now spill the dirt!"

Laughing, Bonnie stretched out on her bed and twirled a piece of hair around her finger. After forcing herself to move and taking a nice long shower, she'd eaten—alone, Scott and her Aunt still weren't home—before deciding to call her two best friends to check in. Upon discovering that things were calm but they had seen Katherine slinking around town, she'd let it slip about not exactly having the vacation she'd expected. Naturally to Caroline that translated to she'd met a guy.

"He's…sort of a werewolf." She said after a few minutes. "Naturally born."

"What?!" Caroline shrieked. "Oh my god, Bonnie! Do—do you know how  _dangerous_  wolves are? He could seriously hurt you."

"He's not like Mason." Bonnie replied carefully. "When I touch him I don't feel one once of fear or any kind of threat." Pause. "Guys, my magic goes completely insane when we touch."

Elena spoke next, "How so?"

Bonnie rolled over onto her back. "It's hard to explain but let's just say it makes me wanna do the opposite of run away screaming. He's kinda constantly annoyed but for some reason I kinda like him."

"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" Inquired the blonde. "Like on a scale of one to ten…"

"He's a twenty." Bonnie bit her bottom lip when her friend squealed. "Maybe I'll try to get you guys a picture. Anyway he was in trouble and I couldn't let him die."

"Of course not." Elena sounded understanding. "That's not who you are. And I mean as long as you're safe I don't see the problem liking someone who isn't human. I'd be a hypocrite if I said otherwise."

"Except your boyfriend eats bunnies not people." Caroline threw out helpfully. "Man if Damon knew you were crushing on some sexy wolf beast he'd flip his shit."

 _Twitch_. "Because he's not a wolf fan…"

She giggled. "Right. We can call it that if you want. Seriously though Bonnie I think he's missing you. He's totally missing annoying you all the time." A beat. "He wants to know where you are."

Bonnie made a face. "Tell him I'm in Guam. I don't get why he cares anyway. He should be happy I'm not there to keep him from eating anyone."

Elena chuckled. "What's that old saying? You don't know what you've got until it's gone…"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "He doesn't  _have_  me. He doesn't even like me."

"Maybe he's coming around." Elena suggested.

Caroline snickered. "Who cares? Tell us more about your new wolf-y boyfriend. Does he go to school with your cousin?"

"No…but they do know each other." She hedged. They didn't need to know serious details. "And he is  _not_  my boyfriend. I'm not exactly sure if we are even friends. There is just a weird connection there." She picked at the bedspread. "But as strange as it sounds I don't feel any anxiety around him, not the kind that makes me think he's gonna snap my neck anyway. There is something about him that almost makes me feel…safe."

Caroline hummed. "That sounds serious. Now I  _really_  wanna see what this guy looks like. Is he hotter than Damon? Granted stabbing Damon in the neck with a pencil is all I think about in terms of him now, but at one point I did think he was very sexy."

An image of both men flashed behind her eyes and Bonnie clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Even though Damon was a major asshole she could admit that he was sexy; with those eyes and that face it was hard for him not to be. Derek on the other hand was also sexy—seriously his eyes and  _his_  face—but for a completely different reason. Damon was powerful but if you didn't know he was a vampire you'd assume he was just some douche-y rich guy with a chip on his shoulder. Derek exuded power and he sort of had a menacing air about him.

 _This is the part were Caroline would suggest a threesome_.

"I'll let you judge when I get the picture." She deflected artfully. "Anyway I'm glad nothing horrible has happened since I left. Though it makes me wonder what Katherine's plan is because we  _know_  she has one."

Elena sighed. "True but I'll take the silence over her hurting the people I care about. But you should spend less time worrying about us and more time relaxing, like you are supposed to be doing. We'll call you if anything big goes down."

"Right!" Caroline exclaimed. "And we expect  _you_  to call is if  _you_  go down too!"

Elena laughed hard and Bonnie smirked to herself. "Will do." The lights of a car pulling up outside trickled through her window, signaling that Scott and Melissa were home. "Hey guys I gotta go but we'll talk more later."

"Be safe!" Elena said as Caroline added, "Have fun with your sexy wolf man!"

Bonnie chuckled. "Bye!" She hung up with the sound of their laughter echoing over the line.

She pocketed her phone and made her way downstairs to where Melissa was already in the middle of a conversation with Scott.

"And don't think we're not going to talk about this." She was saying. "Skipping school? Really, Scott? You're already below a C average and got your teachers thinking it's somehow  _my_  fault that you're not applying yourself. That I'm not enough for you."

"But that's stupid!" He responded. "You're a great mom. I just—I got a lot on my mind right now. And—and it was Allison's birthday and she'd never had a good one so I just wanted to give her one good memory. I thought we would be back before the conference. Back before anyone found out we were gone."

Aunt Melissa busied herself by attempting to fix dinner. "It was a stupid idea. Do it again and you're grounded until you're thirty." Pressing her lips together, she folded a little. "Anyway I'm glad you're alright, and I'm glad the Sheriff is okay too. At least they got the animal responsible for those attacks."

 _Animal attacks; now there's a slice of home_. "Hey. What's going on?"

Scott glanced at her. "There was a mountain lion roaming around on school property and Stiles' dad got hurt helping kill it. He's okay though—just bruised I think. But they think the mountain lion is responsible for a few animal attacks we've had around town."

Bonnie nodded though she got the feeling Scott didn't believe that. Obviously there was more to the story. "Well that's good." Pause. "I um, already ate so you don't have to worry about me Aunt Melissa."

"Hm? Oh okay sweetie." The older woman smiled.

Scott sniffed the air and moved closer to Bonnie, lowering his voice. "Was Derek here?"

She wet her lips. "Maybe. Why does he usually stop by when you're not here?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Depends on if he wants to scare the crap outta me or not."

She smiled softly. "Speaking of  _Derek…I_  want you to tell me all about him."

"Why?"

"Because I'm asking you to."

"Bonnie he—he's weird okay. And frankly probably extremely dangerous. You should just stay away from him. Far away."

"Noted. Now's the part where you tell me what his deal is and remember that I can take care of myself. In fact we should have a little talk."

He groaned. "Great. More talking. Are you gonna bust my ass about school too?"

She laughed and grabbed his wrist, dragging him into the living room. "No. But I hear there is a different type of training you need to be taking more seriously…"

~Fin~


End file.
